Mikke
04-08-08, 19:26
I have put together some words from cardiologists and general practitioners discussing ectopic beats (extrasystole) with patiens online. They may give a bit of comfort to all of us suffering from these dreadfull ectopic beats.
Cardiologist 1:
- Ectopic beats are a normal phenomena, almost all us have a couple each day, and the tendency will usually become more frequent when we go though psychological stress, exertion, anxiety or fear. Try to mobilize on a psychological level to overcome them, by beeing aware of the fact that ectopic beats do not represent heart sickness. Thinking to much of them, or worrying about the next one, will almost always increase their freqency.
Cardiologist 2:
- All of us have several extrasystoles during the day (and night). Some of us have only a few and can be aware of everyone, while others may have thousands without ever noticing them. Ectopic beats are as good as always benign by nature, especially in people with otherwise healthy hearts. Certain things can increase their tendency, as mental stress, coffe, smoking and irregular sleep patterns. Many athletes experience them after traing, while their levels of adrenaline are still high. The most important thing to do if you worry and are bundled into the vicious cycle of pv's-anxiety-more pvc's-more anxiety, is getting back the recognition of having a normal heart.
If you have a functionally normal heart, ectopic beats are a normal phenomena you don't have to worry about at all. They do not represent heart problems, and they do not represent any tear or wear your heart. They will not make your heart stop, nor will they bring on a heart attack. Anxiety is one of the most common triggers, as anxious people , especially in stressed periods, have excess amounts of adrenaline-like substances in their blood, interacting with parts of your heart capable of triggering an extrasystole.
Beeing to much aware of them will leave your body in a more or less constant state of fight-or flight, and this will only aggravate the pvc's.
General practitioner:
Dear patient, what you describe sounds most likely to be ectopic beats, a phenomenon that is not at all dangerous, and which can appear in singles, or as a "run", in series for a brief time. You should first of all get your doctor to perform a resting ecg, a prosedure that will rule out a number of possible disorders (most of them totally bening) and blood samples. If your resting ecg is fine, and your symptoms don't appear alongside with extreme dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting, - and your blood tests are ok you most likely have absolutely nothing to worry about.
Cardiologist 3:
Those "missing" beats are actually premature ones and almost everyone has them at some time or another. Some people have them almost constantly. They are a very common source of anxiety and worry, but they also can be caused by anxiety and worry, so it's a difficult cycle to break.
The premature beats are rarely, if ever, diagnostic of anything, but they can cause an awful lot of concern for the person having them. A conscious effort to ignore them only helps to focus attention on them, so it is an ironic problem. The best thing is to allow yourself to become absorbed in something else and with luck you won't notice them as much. Oddly, some people have hundreds per day but don't feel them, while other people only have a very few, but feel every one.
Cardiologist 1:
- Ectopic beats are a normal phenomena, almost all us have a couple each day, and the tendency will usually become more frequent when we go though psychological stress, exertion, anxiety or fear. Try to mobilize on a psychological level to overcome them, by beeing aware of the fact that ectopic beats do not represent heart sickness. Thinking to much of them, or worrying about the next one, will almost always increase their freqency.
Cardiologist 2:
- All of us have several extrasystoles during the day (and night). Some of us have only a few and can be aware of everyone, while others may have thousands without ever noticing them. Ectopic beats are as good as always benign by nature, especially in people with otherwise healthy hearts. Certain things can increase their tendency, as mental stress, coffe, smoking and irregular sleep patterns. Many athletes experience them after traing, while their levels of adrenaline are still high. The most important thing to do if you worry and are bundled into the vicious cycle of pv's-anxiety-more pvc's-more anxiety, is getting back the recognition of having a normal heart.
If you have a functionally normal heart, ectopic beats are a normal phenomena you don't have to worry about at all. They do not represent heart problems, and they do not represent any tear or wear your heart. They will not make your heart stop, nor will they bring on a heart attack. Anxiety is one of the most common triggers, as anxious people , especially in stressed periods, have excess amounts of adrenaline-like substances in their blood, interacting with parts of your heart capable of triggering an extrasystole.
Beeing to much aware of them will leave your body in a more or less constant state of fight-or flight, and this will only aggravate the pvc's.
General practitioner:
Dear patient, what you describe sounds most likely to be ectopic beats, a phenomenon that is not at all dangerous, and which can appear in singles, or as a "run", in series for a brief time. You should first of all get your doctor to perform a resting ecg, a prosedure that will rule out a number of possible disorders (most of them totally bening) and blood samples. If your resting ecg is fine, and your symptoms don't appear alongside with extreme dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting, - and your blood tests are ok you most likely have absolutely nothing to worry about.
Cardiologist 3:
Those "missing" beats are actually premature ones and almost everyone has them at some time or another. Some people have them almost constantly. They are a very common source of anxiety and worry, but they also can be caused by anxiety and worry, so it's a difficult cycle to break.
The premature beats are rarely, if ever, diagnostic of anything, but they can cause an awful lot of concern for the person having them. A conscious effort to ignore them only helps to focus attention on them, so it is an ironic problem. The best thing is to allow yourself to become absorbed in something else and with luck you won't notice them as much. Oddly, some people have hundreds per day but don't feel them, while other people only have a very few, but feel every one.